- The Greek Coast Guard has admitted that it fired «warning shots» alongside a Turkish cargo ship on Saturday.
- Although it justified them on the grounds that the vessel was making «suspicious» movements in Greek territorial waters.
A recent news article published in the News 360 states that Greece admits «warning shots» next to Turkish cargo ship.
Harassing shots
Turkish authorities had reported «harassing shots» against the Comoros-flagged ‘Anatolian’, with 18 crew on board, in international waters. According to the Turkish version, the Greek vessels left the area after the intervention of the Turkish Coast Guard.
However, the Greek Coast Guard has explained that they acted after detecting that the ‘Anatolian’ was making suspicious movements northwest of the island of Lesbos and that they initially asked the captain of the cargo ship to stop for an inspection on board.
Refusal of the ‘Anatolian’ to stop
Faced with the refusal of the ‘Anatolian’ to stop, a chase began in which «warning shots» were allegedly fired in a «safe area», according to a statement from the Greek Coast Guard. The ship continued sailing until it entered Turkish territorial waters, it added.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between the two countries. Turkey accuses Greece of «occupying» some demilitarized Aegean islands and of fixing an anti-aircraft missile system on Turkish fighter jets, which Athens denies.
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Source: News360